Faculty and Staff Directory

Patti Walker

Senior Instructor
Department of English Language and Literature

Education

MFA, University of North Carolina at GreensboroBA, Catawba College, Salisbury, NC

Areas of Specialization

Movement for the ActorVoice for the ActorPublic Speaking

Recently Taught Courses

SPCH 140 Introduction to Public Communication

Current Research Projects

Patti Walker is an instructor in the department of Speech Communication and Rhetoric at USC and is also a professional actor and a member of Actor’s Equity. As an actor, she has performed in professional theatres from Florida to Chicago and Kansas to New York. She has taught acting, voice, movement, and public speaking at High Point University, UNCG, and North Carolina A & T University. In her Fundamentals of Public Communication course at USC, she utilizes specific acting, voice, and movement activities and techniques to encourage ease, spontaneity, and imagination in her students. These techniques enable students to confront and overcome their anxiety through careful preparation and self-confidence. Patti is particularly interested in creating more confident, dynamic public speakers by developing exercises and exploring techniques that free the voice and body so that it operates efficiently and is able to respond to impulse.